Safer Pyrotechnic Obscurants Based on Phosphorus(V) Nitride

Ernst-Christian Koch and Stanisław Cudziło have recently reported the use of phosphorus(V) nitride as a source of phosphorus for pyrotechnic smoke compositions. The experimental compositions exhibit remarkably reduced sensitivity toward unintended ignition. Importantly, it is proposed that phosphorus(V) nitride would be stable in storage, unlike red phosphorus (RP), which liberates toxic, corrosive, and flammable phosphine gas upon aging. Unlike some other proposed RP replacements, phosphorus(V) nitride is commercially available or may be synthesized by known methods, making its future use in munitions more likely. The article, linked to below, was dedicated to E. Berger (1876–1934), the inventor of the eponymous (and arguably, infamous) smoke mixture.